Device for cleaning pipe-threads.



c. E. KRAMER. V DEVICE FOR CLEANING PIPE THREADS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25, 1913.

1,071,242. Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

(Hill llll nhl WITNESSES: IN VEN TOR Q CLAUDE E KRAMER rd w waaimf/STATES CLAUDE E. KRAMER, OF VAN BUREN, INDIANA.

DEVICE FOR CLEANING PIPE-THREADS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, the undersigned, CLAUDE E. KRAMER, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Van Buren, in the county of Grant and Stateof Indiana, have invent ed certain new and useful Improvements inDevices for Cleaning Pipe-Threads,of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to devices for the cleaning of pipe-threads.

In the business of transporting, handling and trailicking in pipes ofthe larger sizes, such as two, three, four, five and six inch pipe andeven larger sizes, used in the development of and operations on of gasand oil lands, the threads on the pipes and the threads of the pipecouplings, become clogged and filled with dirt, gum and foreignsubstances. Ordinarily this condition is not one of great diiiiculty,but when the time comes that a market may be sought for used orsecond-hand pipe of the kind described, the most important considerationis that of the condition of the threads. As the market value of the pipedepends almost solely upon the condition of the threads it is essentialthat the threads may be effectively cleaned. Moreover, the work ofcleaning same must be done rapidly and economically.

The character of pipe and coupling, upon which this invention isespecially intended to operate, is that shown in Figure 4t of thedrawings. In the use and handling generally of this class of pipe theremay be accumulation of dirt, ,Qrease, grit and the like in the threadsof the coupling 2, not only throughout the portion near the edge of thecoupling", but at the threads farthest in, and entirely to the end ofthe pipe 1. To manually clean these threads by the use of ordinarychasing' tools or implements is not only tedious and expensive but isineffective owing to the diiiiculty of getting at the threads in amanner to dislodge the dirt and grit throughout their entire extent.

Accordingly therefore the objects of this invention are to provide adevice or implement to facilitate the work of cleaning the threads, andto render possible the doing of this work effectively by a person ofonly ordinary skill.

More specific purposes are to provide features of improvement inconstruction, and to afford a device which will be simple ofSpecification of Letters Patent.

AppIication filed January 25, 1913.

Patented Aug 26,1913.

Serial No. 744,113.

construction, economical of manufacture, durable and not liable to getout of repair.

These obiects are accomplished by the new construction, conibii'iationand arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanyinp; drawings,described in this specification, and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side view, and F is a top plan view of myimproved thread cleaner complete. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view takenon the line 33 in Fig. 1. Fig. at is a view showing a pipe coupling ofthe character for the cleaning of which my present invention isespecially adapted. Fig. 5 is a modification showing the relativepositions of the chasinp; member and pilot members, when the device isto operate upon external threads.

The body A made of metal is of the general form and proportion as shownand has the shank A angular in cross section and adapted to be engagedby a means for turning or rotating same, such as a carpenters brace.Extending: radially from the body A. and to which body their inner endsare secured, are pairs of threaded arms B and B, C and C and D and D.

Members E, F and Gr made preferably of steel and which are of form andsection to have the proper resiliency, have their shank portions E l andG provided with suitable holes so that the said members may be passed toposition on the arms B and D, C and C, and D and D respectively. Thesemembers are held at desired adjusted positions by nuts H, as plainlyshown in Fig. 1 and F 9.. The member E is so formed at its free end thatwhen the chaser die K is secured thereto the threaded or cutting side ofthe die. is at proper alincment to engage the threads to be cleaned. Thepreferable construoti on of the above feature consists in bending thelower portion E of the said member E to substantially a right angle. Thechaser die K may be of the size and proportion shown and is secured bybolts L.

The functions of the members F and G are to act as pilots and bearingmembers whereby the movement of the chaser die will be steadied and thedie will be pressed. or urged to proper contact with the threads of thecoupling. To accomplish the best result, the formation of the ends ofthese members F and G is that shown in Fig. 1.

The portions F and G are bent slightly outwardly thence in alinementwith the body of the member, and thence are turned inwardly and have therounded noses G and F The utility of my invention is apparent and themode of practising same will be readily understood. The lengths of thearms B, C and D are sufficient that the de vice may be used on materialof the larger as well as the smaller diameters. To adapt the device tothe size of the material to be operated on, the nuts H are loosened andthe members E, F and G are disposed at correct locations. With the nutsH then tightened these members will be held securely.

A. brace, or other suitable hand-operable means for rotating the deviceis then applied to'the shank A The noses F and G facilitate the entry ofthe device into the coupling.

VJith a rotary movement of the device the chaser die immediately entersthe thread of the coupling. The position of the chaser die, and theaction of the members E and F are such that although the threads of thechaser die closely engage the threads of the coupling, there is asufficient yield thereto that liability of breakage or derangement ofthe device is reduced to a minimum. By simply rotating this device thethreads of the coupling may be thoroughly chased and cleaned. hennearing the end of the thread, the noses F and G engage and permit themembers F and G to draw inwardly and to pass the end of the pipe, thechaser diebeing thus permitted to traverse the thread in the couplingentirely to the end of the pipe.

Ordinarily one traversing of the thread will effectively cleanse same.However, in cases where the sediment in the thread has become hard andthe metal corroded, repeated traversing of the threads may be necessary.To withdraw the device to initial position same is rotated in theopposite direction, or, in the smaller sized devices, it may bedrawnslightly to one side and drawn directly. The raised faces F and G of themembers F and G constitute bearings for said members against thethreads, of limited frictional area, and permits of the most eifectiveaction of the said members as springs to hold the chaser die firmly andat the same time yieldably at engagement with the threads.

To adapt this invention to operate upon the thread of the pipe, themembers E, F and G are simply placed on the arms B-B, CC and DD inpositions reversed to the positions shown in Figs, 1 and 2. With theinvention so adapted, the relative positions of the members E, F and Gare as shown in Fig. 5. The manner of operating the invention in thismodification thereof, is the same as hereinbefore described.

hat I claim as my invention is l. A thread cleaning device, comprising abody, radial arms carried by the body, resilient members carried by thesaid arms and whose free ends are adapted to have bearing against thethreads, means to hold the said members at varied adjusted positions onsaid arms, and a chaser carried by one of the said resilient members.

2. A thread cleaning device, comprising pairs of radial arms carried .bythe body, resilient members carried by the said pairs of arms and whosefree ends are adapted to have bearing against the threads, means to holdsaid members adjustably in connection with each of said arms, and achaser carried by one of the said resilient members.

3. A thread cleaning device, comprising pairs of radial threaded armscarried by the body, resilient members having holes in their upperportions that are engaged by the said radial arms, lock nuts for each ofsaid resilient members, and a chaser carried on the free end of one ofthe said members.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLAUDE E. KRAMER.

Witnesses GUY DUOKWALL, JOHN J. HOWARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

